


Fall Right In

by Maleficent265



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Boss/Employee Relationship, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Language, Older Man/Younger Woman, Reluctant Friendship, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-05-26 09:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6233071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maleficent265/pseuds/Maleficent265
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harrison Wells loves his daughter unconditionally... So, when his ex-wife comes up with a plan to take Jesse away from him, he turns to Caitlin Snow for help - the most unlikely person imaginable - the person who also happens to think Harrison is the biggest asshole she’s ever met.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is basically a small teaser for a new series that I’m working on... It’s really short but thats because I’m testing the waters for some positive/negative responses. It would be a shame to put time in on something that didn’t appeal to my readers... ;)
> 
> So, with THAT being said... If this interests you, please let me know so I can determine whether or not this is worth my effort. :)
> 
> P.S. The rating could change later...?

**Cisco’s Apartment. Saturday, 6:48 PM.**

~*~

“I heard he’s kind of a dick...” Cisco said before leaning against the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and tossing Barry a half eaten bag of tortilla chips. “You sure you’re up for this?”

 _“Cisco...”_ Caitlin started with an eyebrow raised high. “I’m more than capable of handling myself. Besides, I would probably have little to _no_ interaction with the man...”

“No interaction?” Barry, who was sitting barefoot on the floor at the other end of the living room, leaned forward to snatch Cisco’s Roku remote off the coffee table to browse Netflix before diving into that bag of chips. “You’re going to be his _secretary.”_

“Right... One out of _three_ secretaries.” Caitlin corrected. “It’s not like I’m going to be his personal assistant or something.”

“I don’t get it.” Barry shook his head and paused his television streaming search to look at her. “You’re smart enough to be running that place and you settled for some part-time desk job.”

“They didn’t exactly have a lot of positions to choose from.”

_“Still.”_

“You know...” Cisco began, shoving a handful of M&M’s into his mouth. “You could have just _told_ me you were looking for a job. I would have put in a good word for you at Mercury Labs. Tina is always on the lookout for a good bioengineer. She’s also dickless... No pun intended.”

“It’s _temporary_.” She defended, trying very hard not to smirk at Cisco’s little quip. 

She supposed she could’ve just as easily gotten a job somewhere else, especially Mercury Labs since Cisco happened to work there and was more than willing to stick his neck out and personally hand her resumé in to the one and only Tina McGee. But Caitlin Snow wasn’t interested in Mercury Labs... _S.T.A.R Labs_ had been her dream ever since she’d taken an interest in science. It didn’t matter if she had applied for and accepted an entry-level position because she was thrilled to be a part of the S.T.A.R Lab’s workforce no matter what department she landed in... 

She could make that sacrifice. She could be a secretary for a little while if it meant she could work her way up and later pursue a career with a highly regarded company that she’d been admiring since high school.

“I took this job to get my foot in the door. It’s a _really_ good opportunity to do a little networking and get my name out there.” She explained, smiling a little too much because damn... She was genuinely happy with herself for making this decision. “If they start looking for someone with a major in bioengineering, I’ll apply right away.”

“When do you actually start?”

“Monday.” She answered, now grinning from ear to ear.

“So...” Barry began, still looking at Caitlin. “Since you’re going to be working at S.T.A.R Labs, do you think you could introduce me to your boss some time?”

_“Dr. Wells?”_

_“Yeah!”_ He beamed. “I’ve _always_ wanted to meet that guy. His thesis on string phenomenology was _revolutionary_.”

“I can certainly _try.”_ Caitlin said enthusiastically before pulling her knees to her chest and leaning back against the recliner. “As long as he’s not super busy.”

“Or a total dick...” Cisco bit.

“I can’t believe you’re working for Harrison Wells. _The_ Harrison Wells-Wow!” Barry was all but glowing and practically turning red at thought of meeting such a huge icon in the scientific world. “He literally wrote the book on-”

“Okay, are you going to pick something to watch or are you going to keep fangirling over some dude you don’t even know?” Cisco snapped lightly, pointing to the TV. “We only do these movie nights every once in a while and I’ve got a lot stuff in my queue that I’ve been saving myself for strictly because you two jump down my throat if I watch the _good ones_ without you.”

 _“Right.”_ Barry responded, lifting the remote once more. “My bad... Uh... What are you guys in the mood for?”

“Action?” Caitlin answered.

“Rom-Com, definitely.” Cisco disagreed.

 _“So..._ Action and rom-com, huh?” Now frowning at the television, Barry continued flipping through the titles. “I guess that means we’re watching Mulan.”


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Caitlin’s first day working for S.T.A.R. Labs. So, naturally she’d like to make a good impression, especially if she hopes to impress Dr. Wells with her brilliance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next chapter. The first half of this installment is quite a bit of story building but I promise we’ll get to the Snowells scenes here soon. I really enjoyed writing this one. I don’t usually do comedies and it’s been a lot of fun exploring a different genre (I was actually laughing at my own writing and that is so rare. I hope that means it was actually as funny as I thought.) 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section and don’t forget to subscribe :) Enjoy!

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Monday, 8:30 AM.**

~*~

The very moment she walked through the front doors, Caitlin was starstruck... There were a few times she was tempted to swipe a hand over her jaw to make sure she wasn’t completely watery at the mouth and drooling due to her unbridled happiness... She was all teeth and enthusiasm as she traipsed through the corridors, smiling and politely greeting anyone who chanced eye contact with the new girl. It didn’t matter if they grumbled their responses or failed to acknowledge her how-do-you-do’s altogether because Caitlin had a bucket of butterflies fluttering through her insides and nothing was going to ruin that colorful burst of happiness that seemed to be bubbling through her chest.

She was at S.T.A.R.-Fucking-Laboratories, or better known as, Disney World for scientists...

The sunlight bounced off her and all but reflected back through the incredibly large windows lining the corridors; summery and welcoming, she wanted to dance through the warm rays cascading through the glass as it kissed her skin. She didn’t of course... That would have been awkward, especially with everyone staring at her like they thought she was crazy enough as it was. She _did,_ however, allow herself a little jig when she reached the elevator; the doors closing around her and giving her enough privacy to excitedly shake her hips and hum a happy tune just before swiping her new ID badge and pressing the button that would lift her to her desired floor. And then... _Ding!_

The doors slid open and Caitlin practically fell on the floor at the sight of the dazzling room before her. Cream colored walls surrounded the large waiting room; one of them made up of stacked-stones that reached all the way to the vaulted ceiling with water pouring over the rocks and giving the room an incredibly tranquil feel. An elaborate chandelier - seemingly the centerpiece of the room - hung from arch of the wooden beams that stretched across the ceiling; the sunlight glistening through the windows and allowing a stunning shimmer to grace the capacity as it caught hold of the crystals.

Caitlin was gawking and if it hadn’t been for the elevator giving another quick _ding_ and effectively pulling her out of the hold of her enthrallment, she might have let the doors close around her once more. But she caught it, thankfully, and _slapped_ a hand on the door seconds before they could slide shut... She stepped out, still awestruck by the ornate design of the room and practically had to tether herself to the gorgeous rug beneath her heels to keep herself from running and jumping on the plush, modern-victorian sofas that sat around the dark-wooded circular coffee table just underneath the chandelier.

And near the back of the room was a very short hallway that veered away from the main chamber. At the end, was a pair of attractive french-doors with frosted windows; _Dr. Harrison Wells_ painted on the glass in bold black letters. So, _that_ must have been his office.

“Can I help you?” Came a no-nonsense voice from the other end of the room.

Slightly startled, Caitlin’s stare swept toward the back-wall to see a long dark, receptionist desk - rectangular and very modern - with a woman no older than thirty sitting on the other side; her hair pulled into a tight bun as she folded her hands over her worktop.

“Yes, actually.” Caitlin began spritely, fixing her white blouse and smoothing her hands down her black pencil skirt moments before confidently moving across the room and placing her ID on the desk between she and someone she _assumed_ was going to be her co-worker.

The woman’s green eyes broke away from Caitlin’s face after she adjusted her pussy-cat style cheaters to get a look at the badge... “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“Oh... Well, no... I’m...” She all but deflated. “I’m Caitlin Snow.”

_“And?”_

“And...” Caitlin supplied. “I’m going to be working here.”

“I see.” The woman pressed the end of her sharp finger into the badge and slid it back toward Caitlin before turning toward the desktop computer sitting to her right to begin plucking away at the keyboard.

Caitlin didn’t move... Just hovered. She didn’t know whether she should wait for some sort of instructions or just round the desk and take a seat in one of the empty chairs next to her. Her eyes, skimmed the desk briefly, noting the bright silver name-plate in front of her: _Dawn Johnson._

“Um...” Caitlin tried, causing Dawn to huff and direct her pointed gaze back to her face. “Is there something I should be doing?”

 _“Working.”_ Dawn bit through a sharp tone.

“Right.” Caitlin nodded...  _“Okay.”_

So much for orientation... _Frigid bitch_. Caitlin picked up her badge and moved around the desk before choosing the seat that was _furthest_ away from Dawn. 

_“What are you doing?”_

Caitlin blinked and looked back to Miss Johnson to see she was casting a well-practiced gaze that seemed to be full of reproach... “Working?”

“That’s _Jenna’s_ seat.” Dawn hissed before pointing the the chair that sat in between her and _Jenna_  - whoever the hell _that_ was. “Your seat is _here_.”

“Oh. Sorry, I just thought...” Caitlin paused, knowing that somehow no matter what she said next, it wasn’t going to please Dawn. So, she opted for just trying to keep a low-profile and quickly slid into the next seat before whispering, “Never mind.”

With her hands in her lap, Caitlin stared at her inert computer screen... It seemed to be _off_ , which was okay with her since she was new to all this and based on her previous encounter with Dawn Johnson, she wasn’t going to get much help... But hey, there she was living the dream and pursuing a career at S.T.A.R. Labs and despite Dawn’s unconventional malice, Caitlin Snow was still happy and very pleased be an employee, even if it was just a few days a week... Nothing was going to bust her bubble today.

 _“So,”_ Caitlin tested, eyeing Dawn rather skeptically... “Where’s _Jenna_ today?”

“I don’t see that as being your business.” She replied cooly, not bothering to look away from her screen as she continued to jab at her keys. “But if you _must_ know, Monday is her day off.”

“And is Jenna as nice as you?” Caitlin didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in her tone.

Dawn’s fingers froze and within an instant she was swiveling her chair and rounding on Caitlin, “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged, flashing an innocent smile and waving her hand back and forth to brush the entire comment off. “I was just _curious_.”

“For your information, Miss Snow...” Dawn paused her statement as a way to demand Caitlin’s immersion. “I’m frankly quite tired of new, wide-eyed secretaries coming through those doors and tripping over themselves at the thought of working so close with Dr. Wells. I’ve seen all sorts of them _sashay_ into my waiting room and-”

“I did _not_ sashay...” 

“Even so...” Dawn adjusted her glasses and glared. “Now, you’re very pretty...” Despite her complement, Snow frowned because she knew it was meant to be _anything_ but flattering. “But Dr. Wells is a busy man and if you think you can come in here with your tight little skirt and just-”

 _“Whoa!”_ Caitlin began, holding her hands up. “You have the wrong idea. I didn’t sign on to seduce Dr. Wells. My interest in S.T.A.R. Labs is _strictly_ professional.”

“Well...” She bit, turning back to her screen. “Time will tell, _Miss Snow.”_

“You know,” Caitlin growled, rolling her eyes. “You might wanna try taking the stick out of your ass... _Miss Johnson.”_

“Believe it or not, I _have_ a sense of humor...” Dawn’s lips formed a callous smirk before reaching out to pick up her phone and press one of the buttons that had been blinking for the last three minutes. “I always find it funny when the new girl gets sacked.”

~*~

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Monday, 1:27 PM.**

~*~

“Yes, ma’am.” Dawn said with a rare smile that actually made her look a little less bitchy as she stood from her seat. “I can show you where the restrooms are.”

There were about four people in the waiting room, sitting cross-legged and quiet as they browsed the magazines and books that had been strategically placed near the sofas; none of which Caitlin had the chance to interact with due to Dawn’s overpowering drive to out do the _new girl_... Her day had consisted of answering a few calls, that had actually turned out to be as mindless as confirming lunch orders and appointments, and playing solitaire on her computer.

“I’m going to show this nice woman to the restroom but if I’m not back in a reasonable amount of time...” Dawn stated, training her gaze on Caitlin and pointing to the phone. “I’ve just placed a call on hold and I need you to transfer it back to Dr. Wells when he’s finished with his current one.”

 _“Sure!”_ Caitlin said with a smile. She was just excited to have an actual job after losing six games of solitaire in a row. “How will I know when he’s through with his current call?”

Dawn rolled her eyes and tapped back an forth between a pair of buttons on the phone; one was blinking and the other was not. “When this one lights up, pick up the phone and press it to let Dr. Wells know he has another call waiting.”

“Then what?”

“Then you hang up.” Her brows slanted. “Do you think you’ve got all that?”

“ _Yes_... I can do that.” Caitlin replied hotly, soured by Dawn’s consistent way of being a complete battle-axe.

With that, she rounded the desk and swept through the room before heading for the doors that lead into the corridor... Of course Caitlin could transfer a call. How hard could it be?

Fixing her stare to that lifeless button, Caitlin bit her lip and waited patiently for the little light to begin blinking. And for the briefest moment, it _did_. But then it stopped... She frowned, looking back and forth between the two buttons to see that neither of the little lights were on. She didn’t lose the call, _surely_.

She placed a faltering grip on the phone and picked it up before lifting it to her ear and pressing the button.

 _“You son of a bitch!”_ A woman screeched through the receiver, causing Caitlin to flinch away from the phone. 

Alrighty then... That was all she needed to know. The line was in use and it was obviously unethical to eavesdrop so, Caitlin hung up and turned back to her game of solitaire but then...

“I’m her _father!”_ This time the voice was masculine and Caitlin all but jerked toward the phone... 

It was on speaker. She didn’t know what she did wrong but the phone was on _speaker_ and now loudly blasting through the waiting room and drawing analytical gazes from the four people sitting on the sofas.

_Oh, shit..._

Her hand slammed back down on the phone before lifting it off the hook in an attempt to get it to stop blaring what seemed to be a very private argument between two people but it still echoed through the speakers.

“Threaten me all you like!” The woman yelled and by now, Caitlin was frantically pressing _all_ the buttons. “You don’t scare me, _Harrison!_ ”

 _“Those weren’t threats, Tess...”_ Harrison, she assumed, shot back with a tone deepened by rage.  _“Those were promises.”_

“You think I don’t have a few tricks up _my_ sleeve?” Tess snarled. “You seem to forget, _my love_ , I know all your dirty little secrets!”

_“You wouldn’t dare!”_

Caitlin was sweating bullets and still pressing as many buttons as possible, trying very hard not to make eye contact with the people now staring at her in horror. And then, by some miracle, she pressed the correct button and the call went back into the private realm of the receiver.

“Listen, you short-dicked piece of shit!” Tess began with hurtful intent...

Snow breathed a heavy sigh of relief which, in hindsight, might have been a bit too loud because the argument suddenly fell silent... Dead air filtered through the phone and Caitlin’s heart had all but jumped into her throat.

“Hello...?” Came Harrison’s questioning voice; lighter now but still on the border of sinking back into the depths of his anger. “Miss Johnson?”

“Um, no-it’s-uh... I’m Caitlin.  _Snow_.” She quickly added, clearing her throat in an attempt to make it sound less... _Stridulous_. “I’m new...”

The other end was silent for what felt like an eternity and she could feel a nauseating pain flip though her gut. She had fucked up. She was _cringing_.... So, naturally, she felt the need to ramble.

“I couldn’t figure out the right button to press. I thought there was a call waiting but it turned out it was just you and your...” She bit her lip and quickly made to change the subject. “You sound really nice... But not like that! I’ve never met you. I’ve seen your picture though. So, I guess I know you _look_  nice too but-no, thats...” She shook her head and pressed her hand to her forehead. _Damn._ “That’s not what I mean either! I just-I’m a big fan and-but that’s not why I took this job. I just really-”

 _“Hang up.”_ He growled and judging by his low pitch, he was speaking through clenched teeth.

She blinked. _“What?”_

“Harrison...” Tess seethed. “Who the fuck is this?”

“Hang up, Snow.” He said again.

“Okay... Umm...” Her finger hovered over the catches before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “What button is that, again?”

“The red one.” He answered, his tone heating back up

There were probably five different red buttons on her phone and none of them were labeled. So, she did her absolute best and made a logical decision before... _Beep._

 _“Snow...”_ He growled.

_Beep._

“The _red_ one.” He repeated hotly.

“Um...”

“Is this a joke?!” Tess all but yelled.

_Beep... Beep._

Caitlin was now punching buttons with the end of her finger. It didn’t matter if they were wrong, she was already in far too deep and just wanted _out_ of this conversation... 

Just then, the french doors to Harrison’s office swung open and he gaited out - chest heaving and hot under the collar - before stopping and pinning Caitlin beneath his icy stare. She cowered under his gaze by sinking down against her chair and hanging up the phone before placing her elbows on the desk and letting her head fall into her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him...

Harrison’s strides were muffled by the lush carpet lining the floors but even so, without bothering to give him a glance, she could tell he was stomping. _Stomping_ toward _her_. She felt her cheeks flush as he rounded the desk and placed his hand flat on the worktop next to her elbows with a hard _slap_... He hovered then; letting her _feel_ the weight of his outraged presence as his eyes dug holes into the back of her head.

Caitlin was defeated... And she was sure to keep her head down, still unable to meet his angry stare. She held her breath too, knowing that he was going to can her right then an there or at the very least, give her a good tongue lashing but he didn’t. He didn’t do a thing. He was silent and that almost made it _worse_.

Inhaling a jittery breath, she continued staring at her desk and flinched when she felt him finally make his move. His other hand reached over Caitlin before slamming down against her phone and yanking it off the desk. Now pulling himself upright, he violently twisted his body and spun himself back in the direction of his office while effectively ripping the phone jack right out of the wall. With a sharp clash, he let the device fall to the desk in a tangled mess of cords before he began stalking away... Harrison had slammed himself back in his office by the time Caitlin was brave enough to lift her head.

Oh, she was _so_ fired...


	3. How To Make a Great Second Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As far as she can tell, she made it through her first day at S.T.A.R Labs without getting fired, regardless of her negligence... So, Caitlin puts on a smile and heads back to the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm really sorry about making you guys wait for this one... Second, I'm SO sorry there's not too much interaction between Harrison and Caitlin but I promise that's coming next. Thanks for waiting and thanks for giving me time to do a little world building for this fic! I really hope it hasn't been too boring. :)
> 
> We'll have a hugely Caitlin/Harrison-centric chapter soon!

**Caitlin’s Apartment. Monday, 6:40 PM.**

~*~

Still cringing over the fact that she’d publicly humiliated Dr. Wells by fucking up his call and blasting it to the ears of the small audience in his waiting lounge, Caitlin jammed her key into her front door and practically threw herself inside her small apartment before dropping her purse to the ground and leaning back against her now closed entry. With a hard sigh, she let her head fall back with a dull thud and tried very hard not to think about… Well, _that_ … _Him_ and he way he came lumbering out of his office like an angry bear who’d just gotten through it’s hibernation and was looking for the first thing it could find to sink it’s hungry teeth into. And that was her first impression on her very own science-version of Walt Disney…

So, _that_ sucked...

But she somehow managed to make it through that catastrophe _without_ getting fired even though she’d made her boss hot under the collar over her silly little, air-headed mistake... But fuck, how was she supposed to actually go back to work after that? Sure, it was only three days a week and the odds of him coming out of his office were pretty slim considering the fact that he was one of those work-a-holic types that spent long hours hunched over his desk or sitting through meetings in his adjoining conference room… So, no… He hardly had a reason to leave his actual office unless his newest secretary did something stupid like eavesdropping on a private conversation between him and someone Caitlin could only assume was his ex-wife.

Groaning and dropping her head to hands, she slid the rest of the way down her door and kicked her heels off before tucking her legs beneath her and hoping against hope that she wasn’t actually going to walk through those doors on Wednesday only to find out that she’d been let go... The fact that he never said anything had her going out of her fucking mind.

Okay so, _was_ she fired? She never got called into his office and no one at the lab had bothered dialing her up on her way home… Was she supposed to expect a slap on the wrist or some sort of warning slip waiting for her on her desk when she went in later in the week? Or maybe Dr. Wells was the type to let it simmer for a few months and after she started feeling like she had the slightest amount of job security, he would call her in and throw her out on her ass over that damn call.

Another groan pushed through her throat because holy shit, she was such a moron… It wasn’t until her cell started chiming it’s way through a happy little tune that Caitlin was finally pulled from her pity party long enough to grab for her purse and start digging through the contents to find her phone. Her fingers brushed against the device and seconds later she had it in her hands; her eyes roving over the bright screen to see her mother’s name lit up in bold letters…

“Oh, fuck…” She muttered, unlocking the screen and pressing the device to her ear. Could this day get any worse? _“Hello?”_

It was quiet on the other end for a short time until finally, that habitual icy tone rang through the receiver and gripped at Caitlin’s heart like something physical reaching through her chest, _“Caitlin?”_

“Hey, mom.” She tried, forcing her voice into an awkward tone that was unnaturally cheerful… There was something she hated about the way her mother said her name and it tended to set her on edge.

“Are you alright?”

She blinked and bit her lip… She didn’t really think telling her mother that she was sitting on the floor, pouting after a weird first day at a new job was the best idea so, she opted for, “Yeah, I’m fine. How are you?”

“Fine, I guess…” Came her borderline sarcastic response. “Considering I have a daughter who never calls me.”

“I called you last Tuesd-”

“That was _last_ week, sweetheart…”

Caitlin pursed her lips and closed her eyes before drawing a deep breath through her nostrils. Practically banging her head against the door with a light _thump_ , she asked, “Was there a reason you called?”

“Our annual get together is coming up in a few months… Are still you planning on coming home?”

“As far as I know...” She answered, trying to control the anxiety flaring through her tone.

“Can I assume you won’t be bringing anyone?” She asked, pausing for just a moment before saying, “ _Again_.”

After a shaky inhale, Caitlin breathed, “Mom, I’m not really-”

“Beauty is fleeting, you know.” She said quickly. “You might want to try and bring a date. It’s been two years since Ronnie passed and you’re not getting any younger.”

At that, Caitlin’s eyes shot open… Yes, she’d been widowed for the last two years and had hardly looked at another guy since but that didn't necessarily make her a shut-in. She’d been on dates… Sort of. If tagging along with Cisco and Barry when they brought their girlfriends out and invited her to be the third wheel counted as _dating_.

The truth was, she just wasn’t ready to put herself back out there. It wasn’t like she was waiting for the stars to align or something crazy like that but unless the universe dropped a her right in someone’s lap like some puerile plot from one of those movies on the Hallmark channel, she probably wasn’t going to start tugging at anyone’s sleeve for affection anytime soon… Especially since the very thought of getting into a relationship with anyone other than Ronnie made her feel like she was betraying his memory in some strange way. Sure, he’d definitely tell her to get back out there if he was still around but he wasn’t… And the way he died didn’t help matters too much either.

The whole thing had been unfair to both of them and the fact that her mother was just sitting on the phone, throwing her late husband’s memory in her face was a little insulting and it honestly made her want to crawl under her couch and forget the rest of the world existed…

“If I find a date, I’ll let you know.” Caitlin finally breathed, swallowing down the hiccup that threatened to break her voice and condemn her in front of her oh so understanding mother.

“That’s great, honey!” She enthused distractedly as Caitlin listened to her step-father mutter something inaudible from the background. “Listen, I have to go. But I’ll call you this weekend.”

“Okay, I’ll-”

 _Click_ …

Caitlin dropped her phone back in her purse and pulled her legs to her chest before snarling out a sarcastic, “Thanks, mom.”

~*~

**Cisco’s Apartment. Tuesday, 8:00 PM.**

~*~

Cisco was notorious for making the absolute _worst_ pot of coffee known to man but each and every time he handed her a freshly brewed cup, Caitlin took it with a smile because it was his way of cheering her up and even though it sucked, she wasn’t going to refuse. With a muttered expression of gratitude, she held her breath and tipped back her first swig while trying not to cringe at the overly bitter taste…

“I told you, he’s a dick…” Cisco said before dropping down on the sofa next to her.

“It was awful.” She groaned, closing her eyes and dropping her head to the rim of her mug. “I think I need to quit.”

“You can’t.” At that, Caitlin lifted her head and directed her stare back on Cisco to see him shaking his head and taking a deep breath, “I know it sucks… You screwed up and made yourself look like a total moron in front of somebody who's been a rockstar to you since you were a kid. But it could have been worse… _Probably_. You’ve got a solid fifty percent chance of not getting fired.” With a frown he shrugged and corrected, “Forty-Five… Thirty, actually...”

“You’re not helping.”

“Look, all I’m saying is, you’ve wanted to work at S.T.A.R. Labs ever since you took an interest in science and now you’re _there_.” Cisco tried to smile but it fell from his face after Caitlin thunked her head back against her mug. “You can’t give up.”

Exhaling a rough sigh, Caitlin forced herself upright before tossing Cisco another glance… “You’re right.”

“Annoying, isn’t it…?” Cisco teased, taking a sip of his own coffee before twisting his expression at the horrible taste.

~*~

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Wednesday, 8:45 AM.**

~*~

By the time Wednesday morning rolled around, Caitlin Snow had put on her bravest face and marched herself through the front doors of S.T.A.R Laboratories with her shoulders back and head held high as if nothing had gone wrong earlier in the week. Cisco was absolutely right, she _could_ do this… Because fuck Harrison Wells and his piss-poor attitude, Caitlin was a competent worker and if he gave her the chance, he’d discover that for himself… Not that he’d ever really have a reason to come out of his office and see her in action. At least that's how it was on Monday until she screwed up and gave him cause to stalk out and prowl around her workspace like a hunter readying to snatch her up in his angry snare.

The point was, Caitlin was good for this company and with another chance and little more training, she’d be working her way up the corporate ladder and snatching a position on the floor with the rest of the lab’s top scientists.

The elevator gave a chime before the doors slid open and suddenly, she felt less brave as she pushed herself into the immoderately decorated lobby and made eye contact with Dawn Johnson who was sitting in her chair with her hands folded over the desk, staring at Caitlin with a snobbish smirk before proudly tucking a dusty-blonde tendril that had fallen free of her too-tight bun behind her ear. So, yeah… Based on Dawn’s warlike demeanor and overall bitchiness last Monday, she’d very clearly circled the rumor mill and probably knew a thing or two about Caitlin’s little phone slip up.

“Good morning,” she greeted with an unnatural charm as if Caitlin was just another client walking through the doors.

 _“Hi…”_ Caitlin croaked back.

“I’m surprised you made it in this morning…” She started again before typing something out on her keyboard, her silky tone dissolving into something slimier. “I wasn’t sure we’d be seeing you again.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing. Just…” She paused, lifting her gaze back to Caitlin. “Usually when our secretaries don’t know how to use the phones, Dr. Wells fires them...”

 _“Right…”_ She snorted, crossing her arms and glaring down at Dawn before rounding the long desk and taking her seat. “And does Dr. Wells know you sabotage all the new secretaries by telling them to press the wrong buttons or is that something you like to keep to yourself?”

At that, Dawn’s already pale face went ever whiter. “You’ve got some nerve.”

“I’m not the one trying to get in bed with the boss…”

“Listen, bitch,“ Dawn snarled with a righteous fury Caitlin had never seen… “I don’t have ulterior motives. You might think you’ve got your shit together, coming in here with your big bioengineering degree and just so _happening_ to land a job on the same floor as Dr. Wells’ office but if you think you’re going to-”

 _“Hey!”_ Came an overly perky voice from across the room, causing both Caitlin and Dawn to jerk their heads toward the elevator. “Is this the new girl?”

 _“Jenna…”_ Dawn snapped, the rile in her voice coming off a little uncharacteristic compared to her usual cool tone. “You’re late.”

“Whatever…” Jenna shrugged, still beaming from ear to ear as she rounded the worktop, dropped her purse and unceremoniously kicked her pumps under the desk before plopping down next to Caitlin and spinning her chair. Practically bouncing, she thrust her hand out and grabbed Caitlin’s to give it a good shake. “My name’s Jenna McCain. You must be Caitlin Snow.”

“It’s great meeting someone in this office who's actually _friendly_ ,” Came Caitlin’s passive bite before craning her neck a bit to shoot Dawn a sour look.

“Don’t mind her.” Jenna cut in before finally pulling away from Snow and running her hands through her dark bob. “She’s a natural bitch for the first few weeks.”

 _“Jenna.”_ Dawn snapped again.

“Did somebody forget to change her tampon today?” Jenna teased happily, leaning across Caitlin and tugging playfully at Dawn’s blouse. “Her bark is worse than her bite. She’s harmless, I swear.”

In response, Dawn rolled her eyes and asked, “Shouldn’t you be _working_?”

“Calm down, hun..” Jenna bit back, grabbing her phone and punching at the catches with the end of her blue-polished nail. “I’ll make sure the coffee order is ready for that meeting.”

~*~

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Wednesday, 10:17 AM.**

~*~

“How many are there?” Caitlin asked, biting her lip and eyeing the boxed coffees Jenna had set on the desk.

“Six…” She answered quickly before twisting her car keys around her long fingers. “I gotta go move my car before lab-security crawls up my ass over parking regulations. Do you think you can start moving these into the conference room?”

_“Probably…”_

With a laugh, Jenna started for the elevator and gave a flippant wave before saying, “I promise it’s not going to be as traumatic as your phone fuck-up.”

Caitlin cringed… “You know about that?”

“Girl… Everyone does.” Jenna smirked. “It’ll be fine. Just move the boxes in there and I’ll be back up to help you in a few minutes.”

And with that, Jenna was stepping into the elevator, leaving Caitlin with an armful of coffee boxes to wander alone into the conference room, which happened to be through none other than Harrison Wells’ office doors. _Awesome_ … With a sigh, Snow furrowed her brows and wrapped her limbs tighter around those boxes before starting forward and heading straight for those frosted office doors. Fuck her insecurities because even if he was sitting at his desk with that scowl, she was going to walk right through his office and do this job right if it killed her.

And kill her it might…

Aside from the anxiety of facing Harrison Wells again, walking across plush carpeting with few boxes of coffee was no easy task, especially since Caitlin was wearing heels… And about the time she reached the door, she quickly realized her hands were full and there was absolutely no way could manage to work the handle on her own. So, she’d pressed her side into the glass and gawkily maneuvered the boxes around until they were balancing on her hip and secured with a loose hold as her free arm awkwardly coiled around the cardboard. Finally finding purchase against the door, Caitlin leaned all her weight into the glass and blindly groped for the handle, her fingers curling one by one around the knob before making an attempt to twist it in her grasp but before she could make a move, it seemed to be turning on its own.

 _“Oh, shit…”_ Caitlin breathed milliseconds before Harrison opened the door from the other side, the action causing her to lose whatever form of balance she’d been hanging onto and fall right in.


	4. Strike Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If unprofessionally screwing up a call between Harrison and his ex-wife wasn’t enough to get her fired, spilling a couple gallons of hot coffee on his lap would certainly do the trick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient with me! I hope you'll enjoy this one!
> 
> It would be amazing if you took a couple of minutes to let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comment section below. Thanks!! <3

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Wednesday, 10:20 AM.**

~*~

It took about two seconds for Caitlin to realize she’d fallen to the ground; her palms wet, sticky and oddly warm as her fingers curled against the now stained carpet under her hands… And that wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that she was braced on all fours and straddling her boss’s leg.

Harrison’s chest was heaving; an angry flare of color shooting up his neck as he fastened her with an all but pernicious glare which automatically caused Caitlin to defensively curl in on herself before pursing her lips and drawing in a quick breath through her nostrils. With his glasses knocked out of place, caught between sliding down the slope of his nose and awkwardly dangling from one of his ears, Caitlin muttered an apology that was downright mousy before making an attempt to scramble off of him. But about the time she pulled back, his fingers were white-knuckling around her wrists and holding her still because… _Oops_. He might’ve tried to be a gentleman and open the door for her knowing that she was juggling a coffee order and he might have even tried taking that formality to the next level and made an attempt to catch her during the fall without realizing she was a waste of time and effort… And probably dry cleaning.

She wasn’t typically a complete bumbling mess on most days but as her luck would have it, she was all thumbs whenever Harrison Wells was within proximity.

 _“Snow…”_ His voice was harrowing and it had every right to be, even though his tone and the way his fingers were currently coiling around her limbs made a faint whine bubble through her throat.

“I’m _so_ sorry.” She started, barely registering the wet flow of hot coffee seeping through her hose and drenching her knees and shins. With her eyes darting from his displaced glasses to the large stains coating his shirt and pants, she quickly repeated, “I’m _really_ sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Don’t...” He snapped through a low rasp before pushing himself off his elbows and pulling his grip away from her wrists to readjust his glasses, never once taking his hardened stare off of her. _“Don’t.”_

~*~

**S.T.A.R. Labs. Wednesday, 11:45 AM.**

~*~

The large clock hanging above Harrison’s desk ticked much louder than she thought necessary but that could have been due to the fact that Caitlin had been sitting in his office for over an hour with nothing but the second-hand tick-tock to distract her from her thoughts because, _damnit_... No matter how lucky she’d been thus far, there was no getting around it this time because she was so fucking fired… And to make matters worse, Dr. Wells had grunted and growled through fits of disdain and made multiple shit-attempts at dabbing his suit clean with the entire box of Kleenex that had been placed on his desk before deeming the effort futile, heading toward his conference room to have his meeting in coffee-stained clothes and leaving her clumsy ass in something she could only describe as a timeout.

Bracing her elbows against her knees and dropping her head into her hands, Caitlin huffed out a rough sigh and listened to a series of booming laughs erupt from behind the conference room doors before groaning out a muttered curse… Nothing was worse than listening to Harrison Wells make muffled jokes from the next room to butter up potential investors when in reality, he was up in arms and just waiting to get out of there in order to descend his wrath upon her in a way that made the fury of mythological gods seem sandbox.

With another groan pushing through Caitlin's throat, she glanced at the clock again and much to her chagrin, she discovered that only a few minutes had flown by since she last checked the time. _Ugh_ … She dropped her head against his desk and tried very hard to quell the urge to crawl out of his office on her hands and knees, slip away unnoticed and never be seen or heard from again. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work that way and no matter the outcome, she absolutely had to buck up and take the punch, even if that meant the impact of the swing was to be delivered by her biggest aspiration.

 _“Fuck me…”_ She muttered, closing her eyes and sucking in a breath that seemed to swell through her lungs.

“No thanks.”

Practically ripping away from the desk, she twisted around in her large leather chair and rounded herself toward the french doors to find a young brunette standing in the entry with a pink-plaid book satchel a smirk that looked oddly familiar. Her eyes roved Caitlin from top to bottom before dropping her bag near the door and stepping inside; her gaze lingering for a short time on Snow’s coffee-covered panty hose.

“You must be the new secretary…” She said with a barely-stifled laugh. “Caitlin Snow, _right?”_

At that, Caitlin frowned… “How’d you guess?”

“My dad’s been coming home pretty pissy lately.” She said with a shrug. “Been grumbling about some, _airheaded new girl named Snow…”_

Caitlin’s mouth fell open and she frowned. _Fuck_ … “Your _dad_ … He said that?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Depending on the mistake, he usually gives new employees three strikes before they’re out.”

Caitlin glanced to the extremely large coffee stain on the carpet before grumbling out, _“Great…”_

“Is that from _you?”_

Nodding and pursing her lips, Caitlin said, “I guess that’s strike two… I’m not usually like this.”

“Oh, man... “ With a laugh, the brunette made her way closer and dropped down in the matching leather chair across from Caitlin’s before crossing her legs and giving another quick shrug. “My dad has that effect on people. Don’t sweat it.”

“You didn’t see his face…” She groaned, placing an elbow on the desk and dropping her forehead to her palm. “I don’t think I’m getting that third strike.”

“Did he use his work voice?”

“The one that makes you feel like you’re about to get thrown into a den of hungry lions?” Caitlin asked. _“Yeah…_ That’s about the only voice I’ve heard since I started.”

Snorting, the brunette smiled again and extended a hand before saying, “I’m Jesse by the way.”

 _“Caitlin.”_ She responded, shaking Jesse’s hand and giving a mirthless smile. “But I guess you’ve heard all about me.”

“I heard you pissed mom off.” Came Jesse’s light reply before shooting a broad grin in Caitlin’s direction. “If it makes you feel better, my dad actually got a kick out of that… You know, once he cooled off.”

“So, he was pretty mad?”

“I haven’t seen him that mad since _before_ my parents split.” Jesse replied, her smile fading a bit before dropping her stare to her lap. “If that puts things into perspective.”

Caitlin bit down on her bottom lip… If that phone call she’d screwed up was anything to go off of, then _yes_ , that certainly put his anger into perspective. _Fuck_. Would it be wrong to put her two weeks notice in with her boss’s daughter?

“His uh… _Passion_ , I guess, bubbles near the surface .” Jesse started again, rising off her chair to pull her cellular device from the back pocket of her skirt before lifting a brow. _“Very near.”_

Caitlin groaned before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “I’m going to lose this job.”

“It could be worse… The girl they hired before you actually only lasted about a week before dad sacked her.” Said Jesse before she continued thumbing at her phone, a hard frown creasing her brow as her eyes roved the screen. “She apparently was only here to weasel her way into my dad’s wallet. It was actually kind of embarrassing… She’d come in dressed to _impress_ if you know what I mean.”

At that, Caitlin scrunched her nose and smirked. _“Gross.”_

With a snort that was quickly swallowed up by silence, Caitlin glanced to the clock; the grating sound of the sharp tick-tock catching her attention again now that Jesse was immersed in the realm of text messaging… She was torn between wanting Dr. Wells’ meeting to end so she could get this whole thing over with and wanting it to last forever so she could avoid his rage, even it if meant she had to continue wallowing in self-doubt and demoralizing anticipation.

But there was an unhappy huff shoving up from Jesse’s lungs before Caitlin’s attention was pulled away from the clock and the _I’m-so-very-fired_ scenario rolling through her mind… Her eyes snapped to Jesse to find her sitting in her chair with her phone in hand; a glare and a pursed mouth dominating her features as she lowered her cell into her lap.

“Is everything okay?”

Jesse’s gaze briefly flickered to Caitlin before she replaced that bright smile and said, _“Yeah..._ Sorry. I just… I made some plans but they’re cancelled now, I guess.”

Without really knowing how to respond, Caitlin blurted out a quick apology before saying, “That’s disappointing.”

Jesse huffed again… “Yeah. Ever since I graduated high school, it’s like all my friends moved on or something.”

“That tends to happen when you leave your friends behind. So, you’re in college now?”

 _“Yup.”_ Jesse said, her voice teetering back and forth between pride and something akin to misery. “Graduated when I was fifteen and now I’m attending the University.”

“Smart girl.” She praised. “What’s your major?”

“I’m going for a few different things… Physiology, bio-chem-”

“Bio?” Caitlin enthused, leaning forward and pressing a hand to her chest. “That’s _my_ major.”

“You’re kidding.” Jesse responded. “What are you doing working here as a… _Secretary?_ No offense...”

“Actually, I took this job with the aim of working my way into the lab but…” Caitlin glanced back to the stain on the carpet. “I’m not sure that’s going to be possible.”

“Listen, you’re pretty cool. I can put in a good word for you but only if you promise to meet me for coffee later this week.” Jesse chuckled, shaking her head. “I could use a few people in my life who don’t think I’m some genius-freak.”

Caitlin pinned Jesse with wide eyes and gave a quick bite to her bottom lip before saying, “That… That actually sounds really nice. Most of my friends are guys so…”

“So, _perfect!”_ Jesse supplied before lifting her phone and pushing it toward Caitlin. “Go ahead and add yourself to my contacts.”

_“Okay…”_

With that, Caitlin was punching her number into the phone… But just about the time she was handing it back, the conference door swung open, causing both Caitlin and Jesse, while still in mid-pass, to jerk their stares toward the handful of men piling through. Instantaneously, icy blue eyes landed on Caitlin and with amazing dexterity, she straightened her spine and quickly pulled her hands away from her boss’s daughter before fidgeting awkwardly in her chair.

Harrison tore his glare away and with a well-practiced smile, he turned to the investors at his heels to shake hands and kiss ass before walking them toward the french door of his office. There were a few muttered please and thank yous before they were shuffling out and then, he was closing the doors and turning his ruthless stare back on his secretary.

 _Ugh_ … His clothes might have been wet, cold and clinging to him in places where the fabric had been especially saturated; the crotch area for example. And that was no way to impress anyone during a meeting.

 _“Snow…”_ He grinded, causing her eyes to jump away from the wet stain on his lap.

“I… Um…” She stumbled. “I know I’m-”

 _“Well,”_ Jesse cut, getting to her feet and tucking her phone back into her pocket before making her way toward the door. “It looks like you two have a few things to talk about so, I’ll just leave you to it.” She turned and grinned down at Caitlin before finishing off, “You’re off tomorrow, _right?”_

“Uh… Yeah.” Caitlin answered, glancing quickly to her father to find him standing by the door with that ever present glare twisting through his face. “Yeah, I am.”

“I’ll text you later.” Jesse said, giving her a quick wink. “Maybe we can get together between classes or something.”

Caitlin blinked before realizing the play Jesse had made in her favor and nodded a bit too eagerly before blurting, _“Sure!”_

And then, Jesse was moving toward the door, grabbing her bag and flashing her dad a charming little smile that had a way of softening his gaze before pushing up on her tiptoes and pecking his jaw. “I’ll see you tonight, daddy.”

Quirking his mouth politely and nodding once, Harrison watched Jesse leave the office before shutting the door with a harrowing _clap_ and rounding on Caitlin. There was a moment of unnerving silence that seemed to surround them and consume her like darkness and without hesitation, she dropped her eyes to avoid his sharp gaze before swallowing down a gulp. And then, with the same speed he used the day he was forced disconnect Caitlin from his call, his hard strides were all but clomping across the carpet until he reached his desk and lowered himself in the swivel chair across from Snow.

Braving a quick peek, Caitlin glanced up to see her boss sitting there with his biting eyes fastened to her, his fingers _drumming_ against the desk between them in a way that set her on edge; the sound of that adamant _tap_ managing to rattle through her spine… Suddenly the tick-tock from the clock hanging above him didn’t seem so bad.

Caitlin bit down on her bottom lip with enough pressure to actually make it throb between her teeth… He wasn’t saying anything and it made her about as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers. _Damn_ …

With a rough exhale, Harrison narrowed his stare and cocked his head as if he couldn’t fathom how he’d gotten into such a strange position with this silly little girl, what with a pissed ex-wife and the smell of now old coffee soaking into everything in his office.

Drawing in a breath that felt damn-near toxic, Caitlin felt her lungs expand in a way that made her feel like she might burst and without thinking, she blurted, “Jesse seems really nice.”

She saw Harrison’s teeth after that and not in a way that meant he was _smiling_ … No, it was more of a sneer because _yeah_ , she might have been overstepping a boundary by bringing up his daughter here and now. Quickly hunching her shoulders, Caitlin dropped her stare to her lap and flinched when she heard him draw in a deliberate breath…

 _“You’re not here to tell me about my daughter…”_ He snapped, the quiet drum of his fingers pounding against the work top that much harder now that she’d pushed more of his buttons. “I don’t appreciate you slithering your way into her phone either.”

At that, Caitlin’s head jerked up. “She _asked_ … I wouldn’t have-”

“You wouldn’t happen to have set up a get-together with my daughter with the intention of gaining favor with me… Because that’s a dangerous game, Snow.” He growled. “And it’s one I’m very good at.”

“I…” Her mouth snapped shut for a just a moment before blinking at him and trying to decipher his meaning. “I’m not hustling you. If that’s what you’re asking...”

He gave an unconvinced _humph_ and finally stilled his fingers long enough for Caitlin to remember how horribly uncomfortable it was to sit in his presence with nothing but the sounds of his clock.

“I heard about the girl who worked here before me…” Caitlin started again, trying to sound sincere rather than scared shitless. “I think you’re giving me way too much credit if you think I could pull something like that off.”

With a mirthless snort, Harrison tipped his head toward the stained carpet and growled out, _“Clearly.”_

Ducking her head and jerking through a timid shrug Caitlin said, “I’m sorry about that… And I’m sorry about your suit.” Lifting her gaze, she was met with the sight of Harrison holding her with that same glare only this time a chided eyebrow arched above the dark rim of his glasses before he began impatiently tapping at his desk again. She gulped then and muttered out a quick, “I’m also sorry about that call last Monday.”

Setting his jaw, Wells huffed and let his eyes fall to the desk between them before his rough voice started ripping through her ears once more, “Are you always this accident-prone, miss Snow?”

 _“Never…”_ She breathed, shaking her head but oddly enough, feeling a bit lighter now that he wasn’t watching her anymore.

“And what are you planning on doing with my daughter tomorrow?”

“She didn’t tell me.”

Harrison let out a puff that seemed genuinely amused before saying, “She has a way of spontaneity about her.”

“Like _you?”_

At that, Wells’ eyes flicked back onto Caitlin’s face, causing her to turn beet-red before she found wisdom in staring at the knots on his desk. _Oops_ … That might have come off a little flirtatious and there was no room for that, not with her boss already being skeptical in regards to her motives now that Jesse was in the picture.

“Like her mother…” Came his correcting rasp.

 _Fuck_ … Resisting the urge to slide to the floor and hide under the overly plush guest chairs, Caitlin muttered out, _“Sorry.”_

“Don’t apologize. _Do_ _better_...” Harrison grated, causing her to glance to him; his stare penetrating and downright lethal before allowing herself to shift her eyes back to the desk. Nodding his head toward the door, he said, “You can go.”

At that, she perked up, her gaze widening before gripping at the armrests of her chair and chancing a smile… “I’m not fired?”

“Did you _want_ to be?” He bit back.

“No.”

“Consider this your final warning…” Wells said and despite the ire that had been rooted into his irises, he gave her a polite smile and jammed a finger toward the door. “I’ll see you on Friday.”


	5. Dark Roast and Ivory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caitlin hasn't been lucky thus far so, of course, meeting Jesse for a quick cup of coffee wasn't going to go as smoothly as planned... Especially when Harrison Wells shows up in her stead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... Lets all pretend that I've been updating this one as often as I should have been. Like maybe every two weeks and not over a period of six months or so. Yeah, not six months. I'm better than that...
> 
> Anyways, I apologize for the wait and for anyone who is still interested, HERE YOU GO! I'm still building up and I feel like I might be for a while. Hopefully it's not too bland. <3
> 
> If you guys had some free time, leave me a quick comment down below and let me know how you feel about the story. I'd love to hear from you! Thanks everyone!

**Jitters. Thursday, 2:26 PM.**

**~*~**

Caitlin’s eyes roved over multiple unread messages in her phone before finally ceasing her search; her thumb catching against the screen and pressing down on Jesse’s name to open her last text… And sure enough, there was a reason she’d been sitting alone in Jitters for the last twenty minutes. Jesse had gotten tied up at school with some sort of group project she was doing for one of her classes and instead of meeting Caitlin for coffee at two, as she’d spontaneously planned yesterday when they were both in Harrison’s office, she was clearly going to be a tad late. 

So, with a low sigh, Caitlin climbed off the plush leather chair that had seemed far too large to begin with and made her way to the counter before ordering a bottled water and a bagel to hold her over until Jesse actually got the chance to break away from her study group and head for Jitters. And it wasn’t really that waiting was _hard_... It may have been a little inconvenient, _yes_ , but the part that suddenly made the entire meet-up completely uncomfortable, was the fact that Caitlin barely had a grip on her freshly baked pastry before she was spinning around and practically knocking into the next person in line, who happened to be standing a little too close…

With a grunt, the man she’d bumped into quickly jerked back and dropped the cellular device that had been in his hand seconds before Caitlin gawkily smacked into him, which more than likely caused him to lose his grip in the first place.... It was a moment or two later, the awkward few seconds after the phone had hit the ground with a dense _clap_ , that she realized whoever she’d run into was red-faced and fuming, what with his newly shattered phone screen and her cup of strawberry flavored cream cheese now smooshed into the cuff of his sleeve. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” He barked after pitching forward to grab his phone and thumb at his cracked screen. 

“Sorry!” She started, quickly spinning around to the claw at the napkin container the barista had pushed to the edge of the counter after seeing the accident. “I'm so sorry!” She said again, scrambling to pluck her dollop of cream cheese off his shirt and wipe it away. 

 _“Stop, stop!”_ He snapped, shoving her hands away before flicking his nail over the pink cheese smears. “Okay, just… _Don't!_ You're making it worse.”

With another sheepish apology that was probably far too low for him to even hear, Caitlin pushed her wad of napkins toward him and all but braced after he snatched them away with enough force to make her want to crawl back to her sofa and melt into the cushions. 

“I didn't mean…” Caitlin started again before groping for her purse and shoving a hand into the mouth to dig for her check book. “I don't have any cash on me but if I can write you a check, I'd love to cover your dry cleaning… And your deductible.” She finalized, her stare briefly dipping to his cell. 

“I didn't buy the insurance for this thing and I don't want some bullshit check that's gonna bounce!” He barked in response, jerking his phone toward her with a quick flick of his arm which ended up causing her to flinch back. “Stupid bitch!” 

At that, she pursed her lips and blinked… 

“I… Sorry.” She tried again, her eyes moving toward the door… Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea but it would probably be bad form to sprint for her car. “I'm not usually like this, I just-” 

“That's a lie…” Came another voice; a familiar grate that had a wreck-worthy chill buzzing up Caitlin's already rattled spine and before she could comprehend the situation, Harrison Wells, who happened to be standing in line behind them, stepped around the very angry man with the broken phone with his arms crossed. With his relaxed attire that was a far cry from his office apparel, a navy tee and a pair of grey jeans, she almost didn't recognize him, save for his lethal blue stare, hard and cutting as ever as it fixed itself on the man between them, acting as a sobering presage for his reasoning to intervene even from beneath the cover of his Yankees ball cap. “She's a complete nuisance… But I'm pretty sure she _apologized_.” 

With a bright blush licking a warm path up her neck and permeating from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, Caitlin snapped her mouth to a close and tore her eyes away from Wells, trying to ignore the nervous prickle clawing at the back of her neck as her boss watched her fumble awkwardly with her purse strap. She wasn't sure why this new dynamic suddenly had her feeling like she been caught with her hands in the cookie jar but between pissing off a total stranger and Harrison Wells swooping in unexpectedly to save the day, she was ready to delete Jesse’s number, clock the asshole with the busted phone, run for the door, and submit her two weeks notice… 

“Sorry doesn't pay for my phone.” 

 _“She offered you a check.”_ Harrison snarled between clenched teeth, his eyes hardening that much more as he tilted forward, causing mister hissy-fit to shirk back and set his jaw… It wasn't so much that Harry was particularly broad but with his low grate and his wounding stare, he was terrifying in his own right and could probably strong-arm just about anyone who pissed him off, especially if that anyone happened to be a hot-headed college kid with a cracked phone screen… Or a bumbling secretary with a bad habit of throwing a wrench in his day. 

“Fuck that!” 

“It won't bounce.” Caitlin said, causing both men to break each other's stare and cut their eyes toward her. Swallowing around a the lump in her throat, she flicked a quick glance toward Wells who, in response, offered a tight-lipped smile that was probably meant to be a reassuring gesture but thanks to this entire shit show, it wasn't exactly comforting… In fact, she couldn't have been more embarrassed if she were to forget her own mother's name. 

 _“I want cash.”_ He gnashed, his tone harsh and low, causing her to bite her lip and blink her big eyes back and forth between him and Dr. Wells. 

“I can run to the bank if you'll-” 

“Don't bother.” Came Wells’ rough voice as he pushed his hand into his back pocket to withdraw his wallet. He was flipping a wad of crisp bills into the kid’s chest and before Caitlin could make an effort to stop it, she watched her boss pay off some brat for a phone he didn't break. 

“Thanks…” He growled sarcastically after rolling his eyes and stepping toward the counter to order a to-go cup. And with his coffee brewed and his glare pulling away from both Harrison and Caitlin, he was stalking through the door and heading out into the street. 

Curling her arms around her ribcage and shifting her weight from one leg to the other, Caitlin settled her stare to the tiles beneath her feet and took in a slow breath before saying, “I can pay you back.”

Aside from the sound of the barista stacking a short pile of ceramic mugs on the worktop and the bell above the door signaling the coming and going of each and every new customer with a bouncy little jangle, the shop was pretty quiet and it had a way of thrusting the memory of being in Wells’ office to the forefront of her mind. Now holding her breath and clenching her eyes briefly, she braved a glance in Harrison’s direction only to find him standing there with his hands tucked in his front pockets and that oh so damning stare of his narrowing beneath a set of slanted brows. 

Caitlin bit at the inside of her cheek and quickly made another attempt to say something but then... 

“You're annoying.” 

“I know.” She breathed quickly… It didn't matter even if he were to tell her that she needed to consider suicide, she probably would have agreed with just about anything at that point considering how she couldn't seem to do anything right whenever he was nearby. “So… Was that strike three?” 

“Lucky for you, I don't make a habit of firing employees outside the office…” He responded, his expression softening a bit before glancing toward the counter and then back to Snow… 

“I'm really _not_ this clumsy… _Usually_.” She teased, braving a smirk and grasping for civility now that he wasn't snarling. Somehow he wasn't as scary now that he wasn't wearing that fat-cat suit of his and breathing down her neck somewhere in the office with the threat of canning her the second she made another slip-up. “I'm starting to think you're my bad luck charm.”

At that, Harrison cocked a brow… “I could say the same about you.” 

With a shrug, Caitlin gave a flippant gesture toward the counter and asked, “Can I buy you a coffee? Motive free, of course.” 

He cracked a bit of a smile then, his laughter lines crinkling before dipping his chin to his chest and hiding his expression beneath the bill of his cap. 

“Black.” Wells gruffed, pulling his stare off the ground and pinning Caitlin with bright eyes that suddenly seemed less tense, causing her smile to widen. “Since it's motive free.” 

 _“Strictly.”_  

And with that, she was back at the counter, ordering a coffee from the barista, and tossing a glance over her shoulder just in time to see Wells backing toward one of the tables near the windows… She followed quickly after, stuffing her bagel and bottled water under her arm and white-knuckling around the his freshly brewed coffee before moving toward his table and warily placing it down in front of him, doing everything she could to avoid dumping it in his lap like she did yesterday. 

“Thanks.” He said, his fingers curling around the handle of the mug to slide it closer before tilting his head to the empty seat across from him. “You can sit if you want...” 

Glancing quickly to the vacant chair and tapping her fingers along the tabletop, Caitlin warily placed her goodies down in front of her new seat before flicking her eyes back on Wells, who was otherwise busy looking particularly indifferent as he sipped his coffee and stared at passers-by moving on the other side of the storefront windows. It felt strange and awkward taking up a seat across from someone who'd been such a huge icon in her life since she was a preteen but tucking tail and running out on him after he'd clearly extended an invitation, even if it was just for the sake of showing courtesy, was probably going to make things even weirder, especially if she hoped to look him in the eye tomorrow morning. So, sucking in a deep breath and doing everything in her power not to cower in this man's presence, Caitlin slid her purse over the backrest of the chair and sat down, and did so a bit gracelessly if the table rattling and the way Wells’ eyes had briefly cut in her direction was any indication.

There was something of a sticky silence that seemed to fall over the table and it had a way of making her about as nervous as she was yesterday after she'd been forced to wait in his office, causing her fingers to start drumming over the table once more. The action caught his attention, his incredibly blue eyes flicking to her tapping nails before moving to her face, causing Caitlin to still under his stare and quickly drop her hands into her lap to force herself to stop fidgeting. 

She wasn't typically the type of person who flitted about with two left feet and it was definitely out of the ordinary for her to be so jumpy, especially since she left those awkward grade school years behind, but there was something about Harrison Wells that had her damn near gnawing at her own wrists… She'd already determined that he wasn't quite as scary when he wasn't snapping his teeth in her direction every time she screwed up but even here and now, regardless of his hunched shoulders as he leaned against the table with crossed arms, his silly ballcap, and his thin blue tee that hung around his torso in a way that made it look like he'd been sleeping in it a few hours prior, he was still pretty intimidating… In her defense, it could easily have been because she'd had a ringside seat to what she assumed was some of his angrier moments inside S.T.A.R. Laboratories. 

And it certainly didn't help matters knowing that she had too much information about the the way he _handles_ his ex-wife considering she'd listened to a good portion of their conversation on her first day under his employment but even so… With his long strides and his resting bitch face twisting through his already hard features; it gave rise to her flight instinct and made her want to all but duck for cover. Regardless, they weren't in the office and Caitlin was determined, if nothing else, and she certainly didn't want to be remembered in his office as the bumbling idiot.

Clearing her throat and taking a sip of her beverage, Caitlin swallowed down the hollow feeling of fear and asked, “Did that stain come out of your rug?”

His eyes pulled away from the window and swung in her direction once more before popping a brow above the thick upper rim of his glasses. _“No,_ actually… I had to replace the swatch.” Shrugging a shoulder and scratching at the back of his neck, he added, “Turns out dark roast and ivory doesn't mix well… And neither do incompetent secretaries and bitter ex-wives.”

At that, Caitlin's bravery took a dive and plummeted to the depths of her stomach like a cannonball that had been dropped off in the middle of the ocean… She didn't need to think about it really, the rug was something she could make inquiries about, _sure_ , but that bullshit call last Monday was clearly a restricted topic. She'd made a mental note to put it behind her and never look back but now that Wells was tossing it back in the air, she was seriously beginning to consider quitting before Friday morning. Even if they weren't together anymore, whatever conversations he had with his wife was too personal for her ears and if there was a way of erase that moment from her memory, she'd have done it then and there. Oh, she was so fucked.  

But then... 

She watched Harrison's face lift with a smirk, slow and stunning, before returning the gesture and asking, “You're telling jokes now....?”

“Don't get too comfortable… I still think you're annoying.” He jested through his habitual rasp before dipping his gaze to his coffee and taking a short swig. “And you deserved it for ruining my suit.”

Caitlin groaned and dropped her head into her hands… “Haven't I been humiliated enough?”

“Not even close.” He shot back, setting his mug down and curling his fingers around the ceramic; his forearm flexing through the movement and drawing Caitlin's gaze toward the twitch just seconds after she pulled her hands away from her face…

She couldn't really call it gawking but a thin flash of black had her staring at the skin covering his brachioradialis like she'd never seen seen a tattoo before… Well, that was a surprise, especially since it wasn't mentioned in his biography. Not that it was any of her business but with the pretty cursive letters flowing down the inside of his forearm, she couldn't bring herself to look away until she could make it out.

What could've he possibly deemed important enough to tattoo on his body?

Try as she might, she got about as far as reading the word _sky_ somewhere in the middle of the phrase before he puffed out a low breath and folded his arms over his chest, effectively pulling it from view as if he sensed her eyes burning into his skin. And sure enough, by the time she'd met his eyes, he was back to glaring… Oh, she'd definitely been caught looking and it was definitely something she wasn't supposed to see, not with him concealing it beneath of cover of his other arm as he crossed them tighter against his chest.

Snapping her mouth to a close, Snow leaned back in her chair and folded her hands over her lap before adopting his previous behavior and forcing herself to stare out the large window at her side to avoid further social interaction… The silence however - that oh so heavy silence - got the better of her for a second time and she was quickly drawing in another breath to make a final attempt at conversation.

“You don't seem like a Jitters type of guy…” She chanced, being sure to keep her eyes trained to the people walking by her window.

Even though she wasn't looking at him, Caitlin could still feel the weight of his stare after he'd pulled away from his coffee to fix his eyes back on her… It was quiet for a little too long, causing Caitlin to swipe a side-glance toward him just to make sure he'd heard. Not that he was obligated to answer, really… But there was something strange about Wells dressing down and hiding in an overpriced coffee shop like it was some sort of safe haven for him and she was genuinely curious. 

But then, “I never come here… I just didn't like the idea of my daughter being alone with you.”

“Oh…”

At that, she bit down on the bottom swell of her lip and quickly began twisting at her fingers again to distract herself from the uncomfortable silence he'd created… If she was going to be honest with herself, she'd more than likely be a little skeptical when it came to her children's relationships if she was in his position, especially after what happened with his last employee. But fuck… Being on his radar and right out seeing that cynical spark in his irises every time she glanced his way had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Oddly enough, it reminded her of the last time she bit the bullet and headed over to her mother's for a _pleasant weekend_ by the lake. She was barely through the door when her mother dropped the you're-not-getting-any-younger bomb before tossing her number at one of the career-driven young men who worked right under her wing at Tannhauser Industries, somehow forgetting that Caitlin was still a grieving widow who was just six months into her new life _without_ Ronnie. Sure, that was enough time by anyone else's standards to pick up all the broken pieces and start working their way back into the dating game but for Caitlin, that wound was still too fresh and the thought of actually getting to know someone else and start pursuing another life had her bolting in the opposite direction. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to forget how hard her mother's eyes had been and how clipped her tone was after she snappishly informed Caitlin how she'd missed a great opportunity by letting that last one slip through her fingers after he left the company and found some other girl to settle down with.

And even now, two years later, she still wasn't ready but she was beginning to understand that she'd never be over it… Not really. She'd never truly move on from Ronnie. She'd just find a new normal while still keeping the memories from that life close to her heart.

“I… Um…” Caitlin started, repressing the thought of Ronnie for later when she was able to actually let herself feel something over it. “About the last girl you hired... I don't know the details but I don't go around landing jobs just to butter up the boss.”

Wells didn't say anything, just continued watching her from beneath his ball cap as if he expected her to expand on that train of thought… So, she did.

“I can understand why you might be a little leery to trust people... Especially women.” She added, only to regret it after seeing the way his brows furrowed. She didn't really have the right to just assume he had trust issues with women and he clearly didn't think so either, not with his narrowing eyes and pursed mouth as he glared at her from across their table. Drawing in another breath, Caitlin tried, “Sorry… I didn't mean it like _that_. I actually think it's kind of cool you're here looking out for Jesse.”

Harrison's expression softened a bit; not enough for her to deem it as casual or welcoming but with his gaze snapping down to his drink and his arms relaxing against his chest, she was entering neutral territory. “If it makes you feel better, I can text her and cancel.” Caitlin started again, shooting him an easy smile. “She's actually late as it is.”

At that, blue eyes flicked to her face… “You'd do that?”

“I can find something else to do.” She shrugged. “And with all your spying, I'm starting to feel like predator.”

Wells gave a slight huff, the corner of his mouth quirking upward just enough to resemble smirk before shaking his head and swinging his gaze toward the door as if he was contemplating the offer… And then, with another huff, he looked back at her and said, “I've had a handful of people in my life who've tried using Jesse to get to me. More accurately, my money. She's never really given any of them the time of day until you.”

“I'm not exactly a con-artist…”

Snorting, Wells puffed out, “Well, you're either incredibly smart or incredibly dumb.”

“The latter, unfortunately.” She teased with a scrunched expression. “At least, only whenever _you're_ around.”

“Well, I'll try and remember that tomorrow.” Came his light response before unfolding his arms and making a grab for his coffee. “You don't have to cancel with Jesse… I don't pretend to understand how it works in the girl world but she seemed genuinely excited to see you today. And she's rarely enthused about getting to know other girls now that she's in college.”

“I was never good at clicking with the girls at my school either.” She admitted, her expression going a bit sour after thinking about how on earth she was going to deal with Dawn in the morning. “Even now.”

Wells gave a small hum and started staring out the window again… He looked like he was getting ready to say something but before he could, a loud thump elicited near the edge of their table, causing the legs to rattle under the sheer force of whatever had dropped against the slab. Quickly jerking their stares toward the once empty seat at the end of the table, Wells glared hotly in the direction of the newest member of their party while Caitlin scrambled to catch up with the latest development.

But then... “So, it turns out nobody in this city carries a Dreamcast. They're up to their ears in Supers but Dreamcasts… _Nah_.” Cisco blurted, digging through his satchel, completely obviously to the horrified look Caitlin was giving him as Wells watched him with something she could only describe as severe confusion. “I knew GameStop was going to be a bust since they don't even really carry 360 games anymore. I even tried that one shop on Main where they sell retro systems. You know the one… That big sign out front.” Cisco continued, finally looking to Caitlin and gesturing as if that clarified his travels for the day, causing her to automatically shake her head in an attempt to get him to shut up but instead of taking the hint, he misunderstood and prattled on. “No, you _do_. We've been in there… With that one cashier who kept trying to impress you with how many Final Fantasy cons he's been to. It's next to that bakery where Barry crushed like six of those rainbow donuts they-”

 _“Cisco.”_ Came her short bite, causing his mouth to snap to a close after recognizing that her tone had taken the shape of a scolding. 

And then, just like that, Cisco's eyes flicked toward Harrison, who was hot all the way to the tips of his ears by now, before holding his pointer fingers at the pair of them and asking, “Is this a date?”

Doing everything in her power not to slam herself head first into the table, she clenched her eyes briefly before pinning Cisco with another one of her signature den-mother looks. “This is Dr. Harrison Wells… From S.T.A.R Laboratories.”

“Oh, your _boss_. Shit, dog… My bad.” Cisco started, reciprocating as Wells reached for his hand but instead of shaking, he gave an awkwardly dealt high five that left Harrison frowning down at his own fingers as if he didn't recognize them. “Cisco Ramon. I work at Mercury Labs.”

Mortified, Caitlin clenched her eyes for a short moment before shooting a side glance in Wells’ direction just in time to see him fold his arms over his chest again, a defense she was beginning to recognize he used whenever he was angry or uncomfortable.

Blue eyes snapped to her quick enough to make her want to flinch but instead of startling away, she mouthed a quick apology that had his gaze dropping to her mouth. And with a forced smirk that was barely above subtle and anything but pleased, he gave a snort and dropped his stare into his steaming mug.

“So, Barry said he's going to skip out on movie night this week but I'm still down if you wanna hang.” Cisco said, signaling for a barista. “He finally asked her.”

Blinking once and suddenly forgetting about her boss, Caitlin jerked her head toward Cisco and let a grin split her face. _“Iris?”_

“She said yes.” Cisco informed happily. “It's about time, huh?”

“Good for him… He's been talking about her since-” 

 _“Forever!”_ Cisco grumbled, frowning as the barista blew by without giving him a second glance. Pushing away from the table, he muttered a quick, “Guess I'm headed for the counter.” 

And with that, he was off...

Chancing a glance back in Harrison's direction to make sure he wasn't too irritated, Caitlin was surprised to find him significantly more uncomfortable than she'd anticipated and fixing his stare to his coffee like his life depended on it. That made her smirk… She'd never guess Harrison Wells as a socially awkward type, especially since he was always so professional in the office, what with his business meetings, big company, and fancy biography… Dealing with people was something he did daily but then again, he wasn't in control in this setting and didn't bet on Cisco inviting himself to sit at their table, even if he was one of her friends.

When it came down to it, she and Harrison were nothing above acquaintances who had a few awkward run-ins that just so happened to make their relationship level up a little quicker than it should have… And that was without throwing Jesse into the mix. So, he really didn't have a reason to feel comfortable with her _or_ her friends.

“You don't have to stick around…” She started, swallowing after his cutting eyes sliced a path back to her face. “Unless you want to.” She quickly tacked on, realizing how that might have sounded now that she'd said it out loud. She really wasn't trying to get rid of him but there was something in her demeanor that made her want to nurture people in need, even if it was as silly as feeling uncomfortable in a crowd and he clearly didn't want to be there. “I'm happy to get to know you better, of course.”

“Motive free, right?” He grunted with his voice dipping back into that grate of his.

Judging by his tone, he was less than willing to settle back into their previous flow and continue being civil like she wasn't the featherbrained new girl in the office and he wasn't the hot-headed boss who was endlessly brushing her under the rug in order to keep her out of his way. 

“Motive free…” She repeated a little too quietly before digging her nails into her bagel and tearing it open. It wasn't exactly clear what changed, but somewhere between Cisco showing up to complain about Sega Dreamcasts and Harrison's habitual scowl spreading across his face, it was obvious she'd done something wrong.

Dropping her eyes and staring at the now shredded bagel she'd accidentally destroyed after spending too much time trying to decipher her boss’s pissy disposition, she brushed her hands together and quickly glanced in the direction Cisco had gone before allowing her gaze to flutter back toward Wells. With a tight jaw and a furrowed brow, his stare flicked from her crumb pile to her face before grunting once, gripping tighter against the ceramic in his hands, and tipping back another sip of coffee. 

**~*~**

**Caitlin's Apartment. Saturday, 7:04 AM.**

**~*~**

Making her bed in the mornings wasn't a habit Caitlin had ever felt obligated to adopt into her daily routine so it didn't come as any big surprise when she had to dig through twisted sheets in order to find her phone after a series of chimes. It took a few slaps of her hand over random bumps in her duvet until she knocked knuckles-first into her cell and started plucking through her covers to pull it from the endless sea blankets before dragging her thumb across the bright blue screen.

Jesse again...

With a small huff, she rolled onto her back and let her eyes track back and forth across the display before biting down on her lip and gracelessly jamming her phone beneath her pillow. Canceling on Jesse might not have been the best idea but by the time she'd finished juggling her boss and her best friend, Caitlin couldn't imagine throwing another person into the mix and ended up excusing herself from the table, running for the bathroom, and calling Jesse to let her know something had come up… And it wasn't necessarily a lie, but she failed to mention that oh so important thing of hers happened to be one grumpy Harrison Wells and a very oblivious Cisco Ramon. Regardless of her reasoning, she didn't feel good about it, especially after how eager Jesse had been to get to know her.

But she could always reschedule, _right?_ Jesse seemed to be understanding enough… And wasn't there a temporary opening in her trio now that Barry had backed out of movie night? Maybe she wouldn't mind tagging along. Cisco surely wouldn't care if Caitlin brought a friend.

Quickly shoving her hand back under her pillow to fish for her phone, Caitlin started tapping the pads of her thumbs over the screen to shoot Jesse a quick message and within seconds, her cell sounded with that telltale _ding_ before she was opening another text. And… That was that. She probably could have asked Jesse to muck out a chicken coop this evening and she still would have said yes.

Was Caitlin actually that interesting or was Jesse just really hurting for friends? She did mention how her high school friends were a little preoccupied now that she wasn't in their orbit and according to Harrison, she'd been struggling to make friends in college. But that came with the territory of being a genius-freak, as Jesse had put it. There was nothing simple about graduating high school at fifteen and then being roughly the youngest student at a new school when everyone else was on the cusp of adulthood… So, no. Making friends wasn't going to be easy, no matter how outgoing she seemed.

But great! Caitlin would give Cisco a quick call and let him know he should probably make his apartment presentable and definitely clean his bathroom…

Blinking and pressing her thumb back down to her phone, Caitlin stared for a short moment, debating on whether or not to extend that invitation to Dr. Wells… But after that coffee shop encounter, she was pretty sure he didn't like the idea of taking their relationship any further than boss-employee. And that was perfectly fine… Even if Caitlin didn't like the idea of Harrison questioning her intentions for working at his company or spending time with his daughter.

 _Nope!_ She wasn't going to try to fix it… It would remedy itself much quicker if she left him alone.

**~*~**

**Cisco's Apartment. Saturday, 5:45 pm.**

**~*~**

“Is she hot?”

Setting her bag of tortilla chips on the counter and jerking her stare across the kitchen island to find Cisco tossing a freshly washed throw over the arm of his couch, she scolded, _“Cisco…_ She's sixteen.”

“Right…” He breathed, doing nothing to mask his disappointment. “Of course she is.”

“She's also my boss’s daughter.”

“Yeah…” At that Cisco grimaced and dropped knees first on the couch before leaning his upper body over the backrest. “Hey, about Thursday… Sorry if I made things awkward for you guys. He seemed to duck out of there pretty fast.”

Caitlin scrunched her nose; her fingers twisting back around the chip bag before tearing it open and pouring it into the serving bowl she'd rummaged for after deciding she wanted to be more formal since Jesse Wells would be joining their movie night… “He's just… Well…”

Harrison was pretty quick to leave after Cisco had settled in with his coffee but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why. Harrison Wells wasn't the type to scare off, even if he didn't like the situation… At least that's what she'd gathered from their very short history together. He even lead a meeting full of potential investors with a coffee-stained suit and… _Fuck_. Three days after the fact and she still cringed at that little memory.

“It's fine…” She finally said. “He's just busy. I don’t think it had anything to do with you.”

“How'd you wind up with him, anyway?”

Caitlin's eyes bounced back into the living room to find him still leaning over the back of the couch and staring at her like he was about to uncover some unsolved mystery. “It wasn't a date.”

With a _hum_ , Cisco rolled back and settled against the couch before grabbing at his plethora of remotes and jabbing one toward the television to turn it on; his back now facing the kitchen. “Still weird to see you guys having coffee together. He was doing a lot of smiling before I sat down.”

Hands on her hips now, Caitlin tilted her head and playfully snarled, “So, you _did_ know I was with someone.”

“Can you blame me for being curious? The guy has a pretty recognizable face. He's like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates rolled into one entrepreneur.” With a laugh, Cisco snarked, “I wanted to meet your new sugar daddy… Even though he's pretty much a big bag of dicks.”

 _“Stop…”_ She chuckled. “We happened to cross paths and decided there wasn't anything wrong with having a cup of coffee together.”

“ _Happened_ to cross paths…” He teased. “Sure you did…”

With grin, Caitlin jabbed her finger in his direction to retort but about the time she could come up with a snappy response, the doorbell rang. Cisco lolled his head back against his sofa and shot Caitlin a glance before listening to her say, _“Behave.”_

“I won't mention your date.” He teased, tossing his hands in the air and firing up his Pandora app.

Rolling her eyes, she headed for the door and pulled it open to find Jesse standing on the other side with her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans and her teeth chewing at her bottom lip. She looked a little on the nervous side, which took Caitlin by surprise since she seemed so sociable, especially when she'd found Caitlin cowering in Harrison’s office.

“Hey…” She started, trying to sound friendly. “Sorry about Thursday. My day got pretty hectic…” And it wasn't exactly a lie, what with Jesse's dad growling down her spine. Shooting her a smile, Caitlin said, “I'm happy you could make it though.”

“Thanks.” At that, Jesse beamed, replacing that bounce she had last week and quickly stepped inside. “I was actually a little worried you ditched me or something.”

“Caitlin doesn't have a ditching bone in her body.” Cisco called from the living room. “Good to meet you!”

“That's Cisco.” Caitlin supplied, closing the door behind her before ushering Jesse further inside. “He's not as bad as he looks.”

“Heard that!” He barked back, mounting a slow stance just as they reached the living room. “Sup, girl! Happy for a new hang partner.”

Cisco held his hand up in the air and with a bright smile, Jesse took his invitation and slapped at his palm, causing Caitlin to frown and make a mental note to teach him how to shake hands like an adult…

“Snacks are in the kitchen and I've got shows and movies queued. Feel free to kick your shoes off and grab a blanket… I'm up for pretty much anything.” Cisco said, gesturing to the television. “I've got just about every game console you can imagine but I've got to warn you, you'll get wrecked in Mario Kart.”

“Yeah?” Jesse bit back… “I'm down for a challenge.” Pressing his pointer into her shoulder and giving a light shove, Cisco hummed out, “Poor choice…

“ _Great_ … Okay, I'll…” Caitlin started, watching as Cisco hopped over the sofa to grope for his controllers and toss one to Jesse. “I'll get drinks. I guess.”

“Pepsi for me!” Cisco called, bumping his shoulder into Jesse's. “Whatchu having?”

“Oh, water is totally fine.”

 _“Water?”_ Cisco scoffed. “Don't be polite. I'm about to destroy you with my turtle shells. Get happiness where you can. You like root beer?”

“Yeah, actually.” She giggled

“Root beer for the lady!”

And after that, it took six games of Mario Kart, four episodes of Stranger Things, and an ocean of soda cans and junk food to get everyone to finally settle down, what with the disturbingly natural banter between both Jesse and Cisco, despite having known each other for a few hours, and the way Caitlin jumped every time the demogorgon flashed across the screen. But eventually, after Cisco clocked out and fell asleep with his head tipped back and mouth hanging open with a handful of chips, Jesse started packing up.

“I had a really good time.” She said, collecting her trash and carefully tiptoeing around Cisco. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“I owed you for Thursday.” Caitlin said with a smiling before tucking herself further into her chair. “And for Wednesday, if we're being honest.”

With a low chuckle, Jesse said, “My dad has a bad habit of scaring his employees half to death. Kind of like that demogorgon.”

Caitlin glanced back to the Stranger Things menu and smirked. “Good analogy.”

“It'll get better. I promise.” She said with a shrug. “It took him about a year to warm up to Dawn and she's been there forever.”

“Which explains why she's so…”

_“Bitchy?”_

“I was going to put it nicer than that.” Caitlin laughed.

“She's nice... Once she figures you out.” Jesse said, still juggling her soda cans. “So how'd it go yesterday? Did you dump more coffee on my dad?”

Caitlin puckered her brows… Friday was smooth. Sort of. If smooth could be categorized as getting sharp glares from Dawn and feeling the weight of some unspoken tension even through the thickness of Harrison Wells’ office door as she sat quietly at her desk. He didn't surface, at least not while _she_ was there and there might have been a possibility that she fucked up somehow… Or maybe he was just a little at war with himself, letting his daughter breach a relationship with an employee even though it wasn't exactly appropriate. Parenting a nearly adult child couldn't be easy.

“It was great! “ She finally lied, lowering her voice after Cisco snorted in his sleep. “Nothing traumatizing.”

“I figured… Dad came home pretty quiet.” Jesse said with smirk. “That's always a good sign.”

Puckering her brows, Caitlin tried forcing a smile but instead of just accepting that as fact, she asked, “It is?”

“Well… _Mostly_. It was the good-quiet.”

_“Good-quiet?”_

“Yeah…” Jesse said slowly, setting her trash down and settling back into the sofa, carefully avoiding jarring Cisco too much. “The bad-quiet is almost worse than his work voice. After him and mom split, he just sort of shut down and wouldn't say anything. He was still himself but…Withdrawn. He threw himself into work and spent a lot of nights in his study or at the office.”

“I'm sorry to hear about that.”

“Don't be…” She shrugged, trying not to sound too sad. “They're happier now… At least _she_ is.”

“Your dad isn't?”

“He's kind of just coasting… If that makes sense.” With a huff, Jesse drew in a deep breath and said, “He's loyal to a fault. It might have been okay at first but they weren't good for each other. I think he still loves her but in a different way now… He didn't really want a divorce but she sort of wore him down after a while and he signed.”

“That couldn't have been easy.” Pinching her lip between her teeth and briefly dropping her stare to the floor, Caitlin stared for a while until finally asking, “Was it hard adjusting?”

“I get to celebrate Christmas twice… And my mom's fiancé owns a Vineyard and a bunch of horses. Dad’s got a nice pool at his place.” She smiled and gave a playful roll of her eyes. “It could be worse… They still get together at Thanksgiving. It's pretty civil… Mostly. I'm pretty sure dad hates her new boy toy but he never says anything.”

Caitlin gave a curt nod and allowed the conversation to die out even though she was mildly curious about Jesse her father and that tattoo of his… But she could guess with some amount of accuracy that Harrison wouldn't appreciate her knowing anything about his life or former marriage. In fact, she could imagine him throughly heated to the bone over the fact that she now had this much knowledge… Even if it still felt pretty basic.

“Speaking of which…” Jesse started after a prolonged silence. “I should get going. It's late and he tends to prowl the streets if I stay out past midnight but… We should do this again. Maybe we can hang out at my house - oh, Cisco too. Like I said, dad has a pool.”

With an inward cringe at the thought of showing up at her boss's house in a swimsuit, Caitlin gave an awkward smile and said, “Sure! We love pools…”

“Awesome!” Jesse glanced toward Cisco and chuckled at the sheer stream of drool running down his chin. “Tell Cisco it was great meeting him. He's a really cool guy.”

“He's going to be sorry he didn't see you out.”

“I can see myself out.” Jesse said, jerking her thumb to the door and climbing off the sofa once more. “Do you need help cleaning up?”

“I've got it under control…” Caitlin said with a happy little snort. “Don't miss your curfew or else we'll _both_ be in trouble.”

With a small laugh, Jesse started for the door and quickly tossed back, “Maybe I'll stop by the lab on Monday.”

“I'd love that.”


	6. Close Calls and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caitlin's day is surprisingly smooth for once... Until Wells calls her into his office, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO... We're back with another chapter for this one. Guys, I can't thank you enough for all the encouragement and awesome reviews. I GREATLY appreciate the feedback and sincerely hope you all enjoy this next installment.
> 
> As usual, I'm really sorry for how long it takes me to update in between chapters. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint.
> 
> If you had a second, please take some time to leave me a quick review in the comment section below. Thank you!

**S.T.A.R Laboratories. Monday, 3:39 P.M.**

**~*~**

Caitlin's day was going disturbingly smooth when Jesse strolled through the elevator doors with her hot pink backpack dangling from one arm and a small box of donut holes clutched in the other; her all but beaming smile splitting her pretty features after locking onto Caitlin. She practically bounced to the reception desk after receiving a returning smile from Snow just seconds before she hung up her phone and transferred a call to Wells’ office, (this time pushing the correct button,) and by the time Jesse was standing on the other side of she and Dawn's shared workspace, she was dropping her things along the slab with a huff.

“You have no idea how tired I am…” Jesse started, her bright red lips pursing as she leaned across the desk and thumbed at what Caitlin could only assume were throbbing temples. “I can't thank you enough for last night. If you hadn't called me and walked me through that transduction and development chapter, I would have been sunk for today's quiz.”

“Hey, I get it…” Caitlin said, her smile widening a bit after Dawn gave her a sidelong glance that was nothing short of nasty. It wasn't that she'd been particularly _mean_ today, but there was some sort of cold shoulder treatment Dawn had decided to settle on after Caitlin walked into the office this morning and _this_ … This was justice for that first day after she'd told Caitlin to press the _wrong_ buttons and blast Wells’ personal call straight into the ears of whoever had been sitting in the waiting area. “I actually had to retake a few of those classes back in the day… It would have been nice to have someone who'd been through it when I was in school.”

 _“Still.”_   Jesse enthused, finally pulling her hands from her face. “Have I told you how awesome you are, lately?”

“About ten times since last night.” She replied, dipping her head to the donut box between them. “Sweet tooth?”

“Gross, _no_ _!”_ With a bright chuckle, Jesse gave a playful roll of her eyes and flicked at her box of donut holes before saying, “I promised to run these in for dad on my way home. He's always been partial to sweets.”

Popping an eyebrow, Caitlin smirked and said, “Big and bad Doctor Harrison Wells likes donut bites?”

“Like you wouldn't believe! I can honestly tell you he bleeds sugar.”

“That's pretty surprising considering he takes his coffee black.”

“Don't let him fool you…” Jesse said, her nose scrunching at the thought of whatever she wanted to say next. “He takes it black at the office because he says it makes him look strong. But _ugh_ … You should see the garbage he puts in it at home. It's a wonder he doesn't have diabetes.”

At that, Caitlin tilted her head to the side and drew in a breath to comment but thought better of it after Dawn cleared her throat and tapped her long, pink acrylic nails along the desk… She was beginning to understand that Harrison was a strange character; cool, calm, collected and downright scary in the office but after work hours, he was something else entirely. Tattoos, a chronic sweet tooth, and easy conversations at coffee shops were a bit surprising considering the way he would practically stomp through the building, emitting indignation as he snapped and snarled at anyone who became a bother…

On the bright side, with Caitlin's third week of work well underway, she'd quickly learned that his barking wasn't saved exclusively for her… Other employees had dragged themselves into his office with their tails tucked after screwing up something important, which typically resulted with them leaving with a heavy dose of anxiety and a hard slap on the wrist… And oddly enough, as serious as the situation had seemed, he never felt the need to fire any of them. His bark was far worse than his bite.

And Caitlin, not wanting to test that theory, made a point to steer clear… She even took precautions and made sure to ask Jenna (and even Jesse) lots of questions during the day, started to avoid busy-work that involved her handling coffee within spill-distance of Wells, and lastly, as a cherry-on-top-courtesy, she stopped wearing heels into work. Flats became her best friends after tumbling into her boss’s office and busting a box of hot coffee all over him...

“Well…” Jesse began, causing Caitlin to blink and flick her stare away from wherever she'd been staring to find her boss’s daughter scooping everything back into her arms. “I'm going to make the sugar drop and head home. I'm ready to fall into bed…”

“Sounds about right.” Caitlin chuckled as Jesse pulled back and stalked away with a familiar gait that resembled her father's.

She barely made it to the doors before tossing another smile over her shoulder and asking, “Do you and Cisco have plans this weekend?”

“Nothing I'm aware of…”

_“Cool!”_

And with that, Jesse was moving into the office and closing the frosted doors behind her with a _click_ … Seconds after, she felt Dawn's eyes digging into her skull as if they could actually transform into drills and burrow through the side of Caitlin's skull. She smirked then, not bothering to give her co-worker even the briefed glance because yeah, she and Jesse were friends and that clearly didn’t set well with the frosty Dawn Johnson, if her glare and extra-rigid posture was anything to go by.

 _“That_ was inappropriate…” Dawn finally chided with a low tone before adjusting those cheaters of hers and crossing her legs; her body angling awkwardly toward Caitlin Snow as she waited for a response with her pointed nose scrunched.

 _“That_ was none of your business…” Came Caitlin's sugary retort after casting Dawn one of those dazzling smiles that had the ability to knock anyone flat on their ass, according to Cisco anyway.

A sudden flash of color permeated Dawn's neck and cheeks before gritting her teeth and firing back with, “As one of Harrison's longest paid employees and friends-”

“Oh, it's _Harrison_ now?” Caitlin started, smirking and swiveling her chair toward Dawn. “What happened to, _Dr. Wells?”_

“That's not-”

“Now who's being _inappropriate?”_

At that, Dawn leaned closer, her neck flaring through fits of angry color as she tilted before growling, “I'm going to be completely honest with you, Miss Snow…” She took in a deep breath, causing Caitlin's brows to buckle. “I don't care a thing for you… As much as it would please me to see you fired, I'd advise you to steer clear of miss Wells. I'm sure it seems favorable to further your intentions toward her father if the two of you continue having late night homework chats but…” Dawn paused long enough to narrow her eyes into hard slits before jabbing a long finger toward Caitlin's face. “I've known this family for a long time and if you think, for even a second, that I'm going to stand by and watch you saunter your way into his life, you're sorely mistaken.”

“Are you _threatening_ me?” Caitlin bit back.

“We'll call it friendly advice…”

Drawing in a sharp breath to fire back at that bitch, Caitlin gripped at the armrests of her chair and hissed, “Do you honestly think if something _was_ going on between Dr. Wells and I, there wouldn't be some sort of hint towards it…?”

_“Meaning?”_

“I don't know…” She huffed, crossing her arms and tapping her foot, which wasn't as satisfying as it should have been, what with the way the lush carpet beneath her soles considerably dampened the sound. “Longing stares, lingering touches… Maybe getting regularly called into his office for quick romps or… Or how about-”

 _“Miss Snow…”_ The rough voice suddenly coming from the phone between them had both she and Dawn jerking their heads toward the speaker… Caitlin blinked, barely registering the sound as Harrison Wells himself before feeling the color drain from her face… _“_ _I'd like to see you in my office immediately.”_

Oh, no… Did Harrison have access to their conversation this whole time? Or maybe this was about that awkward time at Jitters a couple weeks ago. It could have something to do with Jesse but to Caitlin's knowledge, she hadn't done anything wrong. Whatever the reason, not once during the course of her three weeks working at S.T.A.R Laboratories had she been paged, let alone called into his office… And directly after Caitlin had unsuccessfully tried making a case for her reputation no less.

She couldn't afford another strike, that was for sure...

Her eyes snapped to Dawn, immediately finding her just as flushed as ever with a scorching glare curling through her frosty features.

“That's not… We're not…” She tried before biting down on her bottom lip and shaking her head. “This isn't what it looks like.”

 _“Right_ _…”_ Came Dawn's dry response as she twisted herself back around to pluck away at her keyboard with impressive efficiency. “Well, time will tell. Won't it, Miss Snow?”

 

**~*~**

 

There was nothing comforting about being in his office, no matter how nicely decorated or how clean it was… The clock above him was too loud and angry and even now, having experienced sitting in silence in the plush leather chairs on the other side of his desk, that persistent ticking had a way of penetrating her skull with every little jerk of the second-hand… Especially now that Jesse wasn't around to referee and keep the lion in its cage.

But as luck would have it, Harrison Wells didn't seem angry… _Busy_ , maybe, but not _angry_.

With his shoulders settling easily against his chair, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, and his shirt unbuttoned far enough to reveal the sharp line of his collarbone, he continued scrolling his computer screen, occasionally tapping at the keyboard after reaching what seemed to be a dead end in his search for…Whatever he was searching for. And it wasn't that he was _ignoring_ her, even if the weight of his silence was intimidating no matter the context, this was completely different from last time… Or so she'd like to believe.

Conversation had been pretty scarce ever since that random encounter at the coffee shop and as much as she'd like to blame Cisco for making her boss tuck tail and run, she couldn't really give him the credit… Not all of it anyway. Harrison Wells was more than capable of handling himself, especially if all he had to do was endure small talk about Dreamcasts and their best friend’s dating woes. Which lead her to believe that the problem was more than likely _her_ …

She'd wracked her brain at least a hundred times over since then… And aside from Harrison stepping in and slapping a wad of cash down for some hot-headed kid and a broken phone that he hadn't been responsible for in the first place, she'd been good. No awkward tumbles that left him soaked with hot coffee, no strange conversations about which button she was supposed to be pushing in order to keep his dealings with his ex-wife private, and absolutely no stormy glares and angry flushes that managed to heat all the way to the tips of his ears.

He'd been  _easy_ that day, actually. Almost human in comparison to how impenetrable he seemed during work hours, what with the dark calligraphy running down the inside of his forearm and the gentle slide of his loose tee as he shifted in his seat and grasped for some sort of polite conversation about trivial things…

So, what made that glare of his rear it's ugly head just minutes before socially curling in on himself and setting his eye on the door? Cisco wasn't intimidating by any standards and not nearly enough to knock back the one and only Harrison Wells.

“How was your weekend?”

Ripping her eyes away from the box of donut holes Jesse had left behind, Caitlin jerked her wide-eyed stare toward Wells, who was hardly paying attention and still preoccupied with his monitor; now swiping at the display and making use of the touchscreen function.

“Fine…” She breathed, frowning at how meek her voice sounded in her own ears. _Fuck_ … “How was _yours?”_

“Fine…” He repeated with a subtle roll of his shoulders before glancing in her direction long enough to make her spine go rigid.

The clock started grating again, causing Snow to swallow around the thick bubble welling in her throat and cast her gaze toward the backend of the office to find a large flat screen mounted against the shiplap and a table with multiple gadgets slung across to top of the slab… Some small parts, a few electronics and cords, a couple tools, and even a small first aid kit that seemed to be freshly raided.

Caitlin cast a sidelong glance back toward Harrison to find some sort of evidence of injury, but the only thing visible to her was his neck and hands and everything seemed to be in good order… With the exception of the dark purple bruise flaring from beneath the angry swell of the nail on his middle finger.

“Did you get hurt?” She blurted before quickly snapping her mouth to a close and watching as his icy gaze flicked on her. “Sorry…” She added, scrunching a bit beneath the intensity of his stare and gesturing toward the table that had been shoved up against the back wall. “I happened to see the hammer and… That looks pretty painful.” Came her very forced finish as she willed herself to stop trying to overcompensate for his pressuresome silence; nodding toward the swell of his finger.

With a small smirk that left as soon as it had appeared, he turned toward Snow and placed his injured hand on the desk before giving a quick flex of his fingers and rasping out, “Looks worse than it feels.”

“What were you working on?”

“Just a stubborn hunk of metal that wouldn't cooperate…” He replied, flicking his gaze toward the back wall. His eyes were back on her and before she could adjust to how quick he was able to bounce his stare from corner to corner, he asked, “Why are you here?”

“Oh, um…” Caitlin blinked, her heart plummeting to the depths of her stomach before trying for a slow, “I thought you paged me.”

Wells gave a low _humph_ before reaching back for his computer and twisting the display against the neck-stand to angle the screen toward Caitlin… At first, she just stared dumbly, as if she wasn't really _supposed_ to be gawking at his computer even though he'd all but shoved it in her lap, but the very instant her name jumped out at her, she found herself tilting forward to get a better look at the handful of windows he'd pulled up.

“Your mother is the CEO, owner and _founder_ of Tannhauser Industries…” He started with his brow popping above the rim of his glasses and his busted finger tapping at the top of his monitor, causing her eyes to scan over the Tannhauser Industries homepage. “You've been coaching my daughter through her university studies almost every night this week.” He began again, this time gesturing toward the digital copy of the resumè she'd sent in a few weeks prior to getting hired. And sure enough, in bold letters where she'd written her qualifications, was a big fat bio-chem degree. “And a couple weeks ago, the short one with the bad haircut mentioned he works for Mercury Labs… He clearly likes you enough to help you get a job working under Mcgee.”

“Who, _Cisco_ _?”_ She snorted, trying not to laugh at the fact that he'd been labeled as _the short one with bad hair._

Pulling away from his screen and sitting back in his chair, Wells tapped hard at the desk, which rendered Caitlin's brief amusement into a giant bundle of nerves after recognizing that unyielding stare and persistent pound of his fingers. It was all too familiar after the day she'd been forced to wait in his office after spilling that damning box of coffee all over him.

“Am I in trouble?” She finally chanced after his glare had fixated on her a little longer than her comfort would allow.

“Should you be?”

Opening her mouth to respond, Caitlin drew in a quiet breath but ended up storing it somewhere in her lungs, his narrowing eyes persuading her to think very hard before answering… There was Dawn, of course, and all the bullshit catty remarks that came with just about all their interactions. But to her knowledge, unless Queen B had been tattling on her during her off days, Wells wasn't aware of the little bites they tended to take out of each other…

_Unless **…**_

“I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable at Jitters the other day.”

With the hard lines in his face melting into smooth expanse of skin, Harrison's mouth gaped slightly before letting out a sharp exhale; his eyes flying back to his computer screen. “That's not…” He tried, giving a curt shake of his head. “I called you in here because I want to know why you took this job.” His blue stare found her again and this time, after lowering his voice to a comforting grate, he said, “There's no reason you should be working an entry level job with your connections and qualifications. You can imagine my surprise to find one of my part-time employees is eligible for a full-time position working _anywhere_ else.”

Caitlin bit at her lip and watched her boss begin drumming his fingers along his desk once more before jesting, “I guess that whole motive-free thing is looking a little suspicious now, huh?”

Harrison's gaze narrowed once more, his fingertips now practically slamming themselves against his worktop before grinding out, “ _Let's pretend for the sake of argument, that I'm not interested in hearing jokes at the moment.”_

At that, Caitlin's posture snapped into a straight line with her back gluing itself to the leather behind her… _Oh, fuck._

“I'm going to ask one more time…” Wells bit, drawing his hand into his lap and very clearly trying to remain calm even though she could see him tearing at his own insides as if she'd somehow betrayed his trust. _“_ _What are you doing here?”_

What was she supposed to tell him? That she didn't want a position at Tannhauser Industries, even though she'd have been set for life, because working in her mother's shadow would have been suffocating…? Or maybe that Mercury Labs just didn't really do it for her?

“I'm not…” She tried, pulling her eyes away from his lethal gaze and settling on staring at a knot in his desk. “I don't know.”

“You don't _know?”_

“I just never thought working in the same building as my mother would be good for either of us. And as for Cisco…” She drew in a heavy breath and quickly spurt out, “He wanted to get me a job at Mercury Laboratories, but I didn't want to be known as the girl who had a good word put in for her. If I was going to be a part of any sort of scientific team, I wanted to be able to prove myself and work my way there without help and _without_ dropping my mother's name.”

It took a good thirty seconds of silence before Caitlin worked up enough courage to lift her gaze away from the knot in the wooden slab before her, and about thirty seconds longer to realize Wells no longer had her pinned beneath a glare, but was now leaning forward; his arms folded over his desk as he stared at her with pursed lips and a furrowing brow.

“Miss Snow…” He started, his tone resembling the easy pitch he'd carried that day at the coffee shop. “I think I owe you an apology.”

Tilting her head a bit, Caitlin blinked and asked, _“_ _What?”_

“I'm not used to people in my line of work being authentic or holding themselves to a higher standard… I'm sorry if my perception has been off while trying to pin down your character.” Pulling his glasses away from his face, Wells dipped his chin and quickly breathed out, “There's been a few instances where young women have studied Jesse's interests in order to get to me… I would've hated to find that you weren't any better, especially now that Jesse can't seem to stop talking about how amazing you've been.”

“That's awful…” Snow remarked with a frown. “She's been pretty amazing herself.”

With that, Harrison lifted his head and gave a barely there smile that curled along the corners of his mouth. “I should probably thank you for being her friend.”

“You make it sound like she's a troll or something.” Caitlin laughed, remembering all too late that Harrison wasn't really into joking around when he was trying to be serious. Quickly snapping her mouth to a close, she carefully watched his expression for any signs of aggravation before rushing out, “No jokes… _Sorry.”_

Snorting a small laugh, he said, “No, that was just me being an overprotective father… I _do_ like being professional at work but I don't mind a little play here and there.”

She felt her face split into a grin after that, a gesture that Wells reciprocated before clearing his throat, tugging at one of the drawers in his desk, and reaching inside to fish for an envelope that he quickly found… He thumbed through the contents for a short moment and then, without a word, placed a small stack of green bills directly in the middle of his desk before sliding them toward Snow.

Her eyes bounced back and forth from the cash to her boss before saying, “I hope this isn’t compensation for helping Jesse pull through her all-nighters.”

Wells huffed again, giving a smirk and another slow shake of his head before responding with, “The company has an annual get together that most of my staff is encouraged to attend. It’s a black tie event and for part-time employees, it’s not always convenient for them to spend money on formal wear when they could be paying bills.”

 _“Oh…_ _”_ Caitlin frowned, her eyes dropping back down to the stack of cash before reasoning, “I can’t take that.”

“If it makes you feel better, this isn’t special treatment. I give the same amount each year to all the secretaries working directly under me.” He tried, giving her a small smile that looked damn-near foreign in comparison to his usual scowl.

“And how much is that, exactly?”

“Eight-Fifty.” He answered without batting an eye. “I won’t miss it.”

With hesitant fingertips, she reached forward and touched the stack, her eyes flicking back on Wells to find him giving her a curt nod and a polite smile. “Are you _sure?”_

“I insist.”

“I can pay you back.” She said, taking the money and pulling the crisp bills into her lap.

“You know, you say that a _lot_ _.”_ He teased, smirking again, this time his expression seeming more natural now that he was genuinely trying his hand at playful banter. “Like I said, I won't miss a cent… You’re not required to go, just encouraged.”

“I’ll be there!” She enthused quickly, causing Harrison to lift a brow and twist his expression into a repressed smirk. “I mean…” She tried. “If it's encouraged. It sounds nice anyway.”

“The first weekend of next month.” He informed. “Miss Johnson can give you more details before you clock out.”

“Oh…” She grimaced, her shoulders hunching a bit. “Sounds good.”

“Something wrong?”

“No… Just…” Waving a hand and shaking her head, she settled for, “She just seems pretty busy today. I might try bugging her about it some other time.”

Wells made a low sound that resembled a rough grunt before saying, “Jesse told me about the two of you not really…” He paused, frowning and pursing his lips before tossing out, “Hitting it off.”

“She's been a little hesitant to trust me.” Caitlin said, shooting him a smile. “Apparently everyone in this building seems to think I'm trying to jump the boss.”

At that, Wells dropped his eyes, his gaze landing somewhere over his keyboard and his fingers starting back on that drumming rhythm as he tapped them against the desk. Only this time, he didn't seem mad… Not really.

Oh, so it _was_ possible to embarrass him.

“I can't blame them though…” Caitlin started again after deciding on cutting him a break, causing Harrison’s stare to flick back to her face. “You've had some weird experiences. You're entitled to be careful.”

Letting his mouth quirk into a subtle smile once more, he rasped, “Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Anytime.”

“Be sure to put that money to good use… And be sure to contact my daughter. She's been talking about this event for the last few months and I'd give anything to get out of dress shopping with her.”

“I think I can bite the bullet for you on that one.” She laughed.

Nodding toward the doors, Wells said, “I'll see you Wednesday.”


End file.
